Fudgesickles

1 pkg instant pudding (chocolate)
1 1/2 cup milk
2 cups cool whip

Dissolve pudding in milk, whip in the coolwhip.  Spoon into 3 oz Dixie Cups and insert a popsicle stick.  Freeze

Fruit Popsicles

Ingredients:

3 cups watermelon puree
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1 kiwi (peeled & sliced)
1 peach or nectarine diced small
handfull of fresh cherries, pitted and chopped

Cut the watermelon into chunks and then puree in a blender until smooth.  Set aside.

Set out about 1 dozen popsicle molds ( may vary depending on size of the mold).  Fill each mold with the chopped fresh fruit.  Pour the watermelon puree until each mold is full to the top.  Place a popsicle stick into each mold, and place in the freezer and freeze for 6-8 hours.

When ready to serve, run the popsicle molds under warm water for a few seconds, to release

Homemade Fudgesicles

 

1 pkg Chocolate Instant Pudding

1 1/2 cups milk

2 cups Kool Whip

 

Dissolve the pudding in the milk, stir in the Kool Whip and spoon into 3 oz Dixie cups.  Insert a popsicle stick and freeze

Freezer Biscuits

5 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1 cup shortening, butter or a combo of both
1 envelope yeast
2 Tbsp warm water
2 cups buttermilk

In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Cut the shortening into the flour with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse sand. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add both the yeast water and the buttermilk to the flour. Knead the dough until it is no longer sticky and feels elastic. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into circles and lay on a cookie sheet.

Freeze until hard and then place into a freezer container. To use: bake at a preheated 425 degrees until tops are light brown...about 15 minutes. You can bake these either frozen or unfrozen. If you let them thaw, they will rise a bit because of the yeast

Southwestern Egg Rolls

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half

• 2 tablespoons minced green onion
• 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 5 (6 inch) flour tortillas
• 1 quart oil for deep frying

1. Rub 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over chicken breast. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook chicken approximately 5 minutes per side, until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in green onion and red pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until tender.

3. Dice chicken and mix into the pan with onion and red pepper. Mix in corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in Monterey Jack cheese so that it melts.

4. Wrap tortillas with a clean, lightly moist cloth. Microwave on high approximately 1 minute, or until hot and pliable.

5. Spoon even amounts of the mixture into each tortilla. Fold ends of tortillas, then roll tightly around mixture. Secure with toothpicks. Arrange in a medium dish, cover with plastic, and place in the freezer. Freeze at least 4 hours.

6. In a large, deep skillet, heat oil for deep frying to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep fry frozen, stuffed tortillas 10 minutes each, or until dark golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving.

I followed this recipe exactly, except I baked these at 450 degrees for 10 minutes instead of frying, and skipped the freezing part. I have also halved the cheese and doubled the spinach on some batches to make them a little healthier.

 I served this with Cilantro Cream Sauce.
I tripled the ingredients and placed the filling in egg roll wrappers and ended up with about 2 dozen rolls.

Note about freezing these-par bake them prior to popping them in the freezer so the egg roll wrapper doesn't break down.

Pizza Rolls

• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 (16 ounce) jar pizza sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) package sliced pepperoni
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 (14 ounce) package egg roll wrappers

Oil for frying
1. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Whisk egg and water together in a small bowl.

2. Combine the pizza sauce and pepperoni in a blender or food processor. Process until pepperoni is well chopped and the sauce has thickened. Transfer sauce to a large bowl, and stir in mozzarella.

3. Lay out one eggroll wrapper on work surface. Place 1 tablespoon filling at the bottom center of the wrapper, leaving 1/2 inch border on each side. Lightly brush the wrapper edges with the egg mixture. Fold over both sides; roll up to encase filling in wrapper. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

4. Deep fry pizza rolls in batches until crisp and golden brown, 5-9 minutes.

Yummo! They do take some time to make but they are well worth it. I made homemade pizza sauce and used pepperjack cheese. I baked them at 400 for about 13 minutes. Spray the tops with cooking spray and they brown nicely. Ate some and froze the rest.

Scrambled Egg Muffins

Ingredients


• 1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
• 12 eggs
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. In a skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add onion, green pepper, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Stir in sausage and cheese.

2. Spoon by 1/3 cupfuls into greased muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

**This is a great recipe for meal planning. However, I only cook them until they are no longer runny. Then I allow them to cool before I place them in labeled freezer bags. As they cool, they will thicken up. By doing this, they are not rubbery when they are taken out of the freezer and reheated.

**Once I added 1/4 C. mayo and 1/4 C. water to scrambled egg mix so they would puff up, with incredible results. They rose about 1 inch above the muffin cup. I almost made half the recipe, but am glad I used the whole dozen. 
**This is a great use for most types of leftover veggies...I used mushrooms and red peppers with cooked bacon. Here is a solution for the messy cupcake pan - use the aluminum/tinfoil disposable cupcake liners. I tried paper and aluminum - the muffins stick to the paper cupcake liners - even with spraying them but the aluminum cupcake liners come off on their own...leaving behind a beautiful fluted design on the muffins.

**Also made them with small differences, instead of the onion and pepper, I added about 1/3 cup mostly drained chunky salsa. I also used 8 eggs and 1 cup egg substitute. I made them in mini muffin pans (Cooks about 12 minutes and makes about 48 mini muffins).  Also made some using just eggs, cheese, diced ham and salt and pepper. 

BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA

2 chicken breast
1 cup BBQ sauce
1 medium onion
Feta
Mozzarella
Turkey bacon
Spaghetti sauce
Homemade dough

1. Cook chicken and dice

2. Slice onions and sauté with a little BBQ sauce

3. Mix spaghetti sauce with bbq sauce

4. Cook and dice turkey bacon

5. Top to pizza in layers

FRENCH DIP SANDWICH

X6 -7

2 lb roast ~ 6-2 lb roasts (12lbs) -14lbs

1 pkg au jus ~ 6 packages au jus -7pkgs

1 small onion sliced ~ 6 small onions slices -7

1 green pepper sliced ~ 6 green peppers -7

6 slices swiss cheese ~ 6 packages sliced swiss cheese -42slices

1-package buns ~ 6 packages hoagie buns -7pkgs -(28-42buns)

Prep: Slice onions and green peppers.

Brown roast in pan season with seasoning salt and onion add packet of au jus and water. Cook in a crock pot 6-8 hours. Shred 1 hour before heating add green pepper. I like to lightly butter hoagie bun and place cheese on bun then broil in oven til lightly toasted and melted cheese. Serve with a side of au jus for dipping.

WHITE BEAN CHICKEN CHILI

2 cans corn 14oz
4 chicken breasts
1 med onion
1 -1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 can chicken broth
1 Tblsp butter
4 cans northern white beans 14oz
2 cans green chilies
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup half and half

Put onions, butter and garlic powder in a separate bag. Combine all ingredients in gallon bag. Remind everyone to get sour cream and half and half.

Serve: thaw soup ingredients. Saute butter, onions, and garlic powder. Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot simmer for 40-45 min. Remove from heat add sour cream and half and half.

Prep: cook and cube chicken.

PERFECT SHORT RIBS

4 lbs short ribs ~ 28 lbs short ribs
salt ~ salt
pepper ~ pepper
8 oz can tomato sauce ~ 56 oz tomato sauce
2 T molasses ~ 14 T or 7 oz molasses
2T cider vinegar ~ 14 T or 7 oz cider vinegar
1 onion sliced ~ 7 sliced onions
1 tsp liquid smoke ~ 7 tsp liquid smoke

Assembly: Sprinkle the short ribs with salt and pepper. Mix ingredients in bag and then add ribs.

To Serve: Thaw and place on 9x13 pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 250 degrees for 5 to 6 hours or place in slow cooker.

FIESTA CHICKEN

1.5 lb chicken breasts  ~ 10.5 lb chicken
1 can diced tomatoes ~  7 cans diced tomatoes
1 can corn ~ 7 cans corn
1 can black beans ~ 7 cans black bean
1 cup salsa ~ 7 cups salsa
taco seasoning ~  7 taco seasonings

Assembly: Add all ingredients to zip-lock.

To Serve: Cook on low until chicken is completely cooked (mine cooks really hot even on low so it only takes about 2-3 hours). Shred chickens. Serve over a flour tortilla topped with cheese and sour cream!

ITALIAN STUFFED MEATLOAF

1 lbs ground beef 7 lbs ground beef
1/2 c breadcrumbs 3-1/2 c breadcrumbs
1/2 t salt 3-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper 3-1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced 10-1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c onion, diced 1-3/4 c onion, diced
1/8 c celery, finely diced 1 c celery, finely diced
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning 3-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp basil 1-3/4 t basil
1/8 c parmesan 1 c parmesan
1 eggs 7 eggs
1/8 t Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp Worcest. Sauce
1/8tsp hot pepper sauce 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
1-1/2 c spaghetti sauce 10-1/2 c spaghetti sauce

Filling:

1/2 c ricotta cheese (low fat) 3-1/2 c ricotta cheese (low fat)
1/2 c Italian cheese blend, shredded 3-1/2 c Italian cheese blend
1/2 T parsley 3-1/2 Tbsp parsley

Assembly:

Meat Mixture: In small bowl, mix breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic, onion, celery, Italian seasoning, basil and cheese.

Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, break up beef and make an indentation in the center. Break the eggs into this well;

add Worc. Sauce and hot pepper sauce. With a fork, quickly beat the eggs and sauce together in the well. Using

either your hands or large spoon, mix eggs and meat together until well combined. Pour the breadcrumb mixture

into the meat mixture in 2-3 installments, mixing each time until well incorporated. If mixture seems too dry, add a little

milk or one more beaten egg to the mixture.

Filling: In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, shredded cheese and parsley. Mix together and set aside.

Divide meat mixture into 14 equal parts. Line two loaf pans; press 1/2 of meat mixture into each loaf pan. Pressing down with your fingers or the back of a spoon, create a shallow “ditch” down the middle of the meat mixture. Spread part of ricotta filling mixture into each ditch, leaving about 1-1/2” border of meat all around. Press a second 1/2 of meat mixture into each loaf pan, pushing down around the edges to help seal in the filling. Freeze using foil and plastic wrap method.

To Serve: Preheat oven 350 degrees. Bake meatloaf for 30 min, then spoon off any excess grease, if necessary. Pour 1-2 cups of your favorite tomato or spaghetti sauce on top of meatloaf and bake an additional 25-30 min. Be careful not to over-bake. Serve with buttered noodles or pasta, a salad, and garlic bread.

Chicken Nuggets

• 1 lb boneless chicken, cut up into bite-sized pieces (breast, strips, etc.)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions

Marinate chicken, garlic, oil and black pepper for 30 minutes.

1. Combine bread crumbs and cayenne pepper.
2. Coat chicken pieces.
3. Place on jelly roll pan sprayed with non-stick spray.
4. Bake in 475º oven for 15 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
5. Serve with BBQ sauce or your favorite dipping sauce.

Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese

• 1 (8 ounce) package macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded good quality
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, buttered

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Cook and drain macaroni according to package directions; set aside.
3. In a large saucepan melt butter.
4. Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended.
5. Pour milk and cream in gradually; stirring constantly.
6. Bring to boiling point and boil 2 minutes (stirring constantly).
7. Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes.
8. Add shredded cheddar little by little and simmer an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese melts.
9. Turn off flame.
10. Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce.
11. Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish.
12. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
13. Bake 20 minutes until the top is golden brown.
14. You can also freeze this recipe in zip-lock bags for later use - once you have mixed the macaroni along with the cheese sauce allow to cool to room temperature before adding to your freezer - I generally pull it out the night before and allow macaroni and cheese to reach room temperature; I then add the macaroni and cheese to a buttered baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs and then bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbling

Beef Stew

There is perhaps no better way to prepare a beef stew than with a long, slow simmer. The low, moist heat slowly breaks down the structure of the muscle tissue, tenderizing the meat. You just can't get that by rushing things.

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 large potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced rutabaga (about 1/2 small rutabaga)
• 1 cup fresh green beans, in bite-size pieces
• 1 pound beef stew-meat chunks
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 3 cups low-sodium beef stock
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• Pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste

Instructions

1. Put everything but the flour and the tomato paste in a slow cooker; stir to combine.

2. Cover and cook on the low setting for 8 to 9 hours or on high for 4 to 5, until the beef is tender and the potatoes are just fork tender.

3. Stir the stew once or twice as it cooks, if possible. About 30 minutes before serving, transfer a ladleful of the broth to a small mixing bowl.

4. Add the flour and tomato paste and whisk until smooth. Stir the mixture into the stew and cook for the remaining half hour. Makes 6 to 8 servings

Chicken Tetrazzini

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (7-oz.) package vermicelli
• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (10-oz.) container refrigerated Alfredo sauce
• 1 (4-oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion, and sauté 20 minutes or until caramel colored. Stir in balsamic vinegar, salt, and 1/8 tsp. pepper.

2. Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

3. Meanwhile, stir together chicken, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and next 6 ingredients; stir in pasta and caramelized onion. Spoon mixture into 6 lightly greased 8-oz. ramekins or a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

4. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until bubbly.

One-Skillet Lasagna

This easy no-bake dish offers the cheesy goodness of a traditional lasagna without the lengthy prep time.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups ricotta
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 (26-ounce) jar pasta sauce
• 6 oven-ready lasagna noodles

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, water, salt, Parmesan, and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Set the mixture aside.

2. Brown the beef in a large skillet set over medium-high heat until it's no longer pink, about 5 minutes, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon. Drain any fat, if needed. Add the zucchini. Stir in 2 cups of the pasta sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

3. Top the mixture with 2 lasagna noodles, set in the center. Break 2 more noodles into medium-size pieces and fill in the edges. Gently spread the cheese mixture over the noodles. (The noodles may begin to curl in the skillet, but the cheeses will hold them down.) Lay on the 2 remaining noodles. Pour the rest of the sauce into the skillet and spread it evenly, then sprinkle on the remaining cup of mozzarella.

4. Cover the skillet and simmer the lasagna over medium-low heat until the noodles are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the lasagna cool for 5 minutes. Cut the lasagna into squares and serve.

Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Salsa Sauce

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (I get this from my weekly roasted chicken)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• ground pepper
• 1/2 cup tomato-based salsa
• 1 cup sour cream
• 8 large corn tortillas (we use flour, since we can’t find corn here)
• 3 cups diced cooked chicken (from the weekly roast chicken)
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
• sliced black olives, for garnish

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir until bubbly. Add broth, salt, and pepper to taste and stir until mixture boils and thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the 1/2 cup salsa. Remove from heat, and slowly stir in the 1 cup sour cream, and mix well.

Cover the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish with one-third of the sauce. Lay a tortilla on a flat surface, and add about 2 tablespoons chicken, 1 tablespoons sauce, a few green onions, and 1 tablespoon cheese. Roll up and place, seam-side down, in the baking dish on top of the sauce. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Pour remaining sauce over all, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with the olives and green onions.

Ground Beef and Tomato Manicotti

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package uncooked manicotti noodles
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles with garlic, oregano, and basil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse with cold water. Drain.

Process tomato sauce and diced tomatoes in a blender 20 seconds or until smooth. Set aside.

Cook ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Stir in dried Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, fennel seed, cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Spoon into manicotti shells; arrange stuffed shells in lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Pour tomato mixture over shells; sprinkle with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let casserole stand 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle top with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.

Note: Casserole may be assembled and frozen up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight; bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 more minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. If you prefer a smaller casserole, use 2 (11- x 7-inch) baking dishes. Proceed as directed